Ex-Goffstown teacher indicted on sexual assault charges

CONCORD — A former Goffstown English teacher and track coach is under indictment, accused of having sex with a student at a Concord hotel last year over Christmas break.

Darren Hartung, 48, of 38 Kimball St., Goffstown, was indicted by a Merrimack County Superior Court grand jury Nov. 15 on two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault of a 16-year-old student.

According to the indictments, Hartung picked up the teenage girl on Dec. 27 at her workplace in Bow and took her to a hotel in Concord where they engaged in sexual acts.

The indictments allege Hartung, as her teacher, used his position of authority to coerce the teen to submit.

He also is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of interference with custody, all misdemeanors.Brian Balke, interim superintendent of School Administrative Unit 19, said Hartung resigned his teaching position on Jan. 9. Balke would not say why Hartung resigned, citing it was a personnel matter, but he said it came a day after administrators received information that was passed on to Goffstown police and the state Department of Education.

“On Jan. 9, he tendered his resignation,” Balke said. “The SAU has had no further contact with him since that day.”

Hartung taught English at the high school for about 10 years — starting in September 2003 — and was the boys’ track coach from 2006-11 and the boys’ cross-country coach from 2005-12.

Last year, he was one of four teachers who accompanied 16 students to Lake Worth, Fla., where they helped build homes with Habitat for Humanity.

Judith D. Fillion, director of the Division of Program Support, New Hampshire Department of Education, said Hartung surrendered his teaching credentials after he was indicted, knowing that they would be revoked.